After Three Delays Due to COVID-19, the 2022 TAYA Marathon Kicks Off with 4000 Runners
2022/03/27
After several postponements since 2020 due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the "2022 TAYA Marathon" organized by TAYA Group, a Tainan-based enterprise, kicked off once again on March 27 at 06:00 a.m. in Guanmiao District, Tainan, where Group headquarters are located. The race was divided into 42K Ta Ya Wanglai group, 30K Ta Ya Scenic group, 21K Ta Ya Half Marathon, 14K Ta Ya Color Run group, and 7K Ta Ya Health group, attracting nearly 4,000 runners. The champion of the full-marathon category was won by Lin Ming-Chieh at 2H:49M:59S for the male group and Chou Ling-Chun for the female group at 3H:48M:16S.
TAYA Group has been deeply rooted in Tainan for many years, and has tirelessly combined local resources and culture to promote sports culture in Tainan. Since 2020, the group has been creating a tailored road running extravaganza event in Guanmiao, hoping to give back to the community by leveraging the Group’s influence. Although the marathon event was suspended for three years due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the number of people signing-up for the race grew significantly after the event resumed this year. The course is specially arranged to pass through Wanglai Road and go straight to Township Road No.168, symbolizing good luck, in the hope that runners can "get lucky all the wa y" after running through Wanglai (symbolizing good fortune or pineapple in Taiwanese) road.
Amidst the faint light of early dawn, a large number of people gathered at the Tainan HQ of TAYA Group. Runners brought along their families and friends to watch the race, showcasing the enthusiasm of Tainaners. Shen, Shang-Hung, Chairman of TAYA Group, and Huang, Wei-Che, Mayor of Tainan City, opened the TAYA Marathon by firing the starting pistol. This year’s marathon also invited the first Taiwanese long-distance runner to participate in two consecutive Olympic marathons, Wu, Wen-Chien, and Taiwan's famed long-distance runner, Hsu, Yu-Fang, were invited to the event, not only to boost the morale of the runners, but also to award medals to runners at the finish line.
In his address, Tainan Mayor Huang, Wei-Che thanked TAYA Group for their contributions and support to the local community, and pointed out that promoting local highlights through a healthy marathon event and letting more outsiders learn about Guanmiao Wanglai is the best way to demonstrate the hospitality of the people of southern Taiwan. More than 70 officers and family members from the Tainan City Police Department signed up to participate in this premier marathon event. With the symbolic meaning of running into good fortune all the way, the event epitomizes the strength and momentum to continue moving forward in the post-epidemic era in Taiwan.
In addition to the unique marathon course, the professionalism of the race was also enhanced by inviting the famous Su, Chih-Pin Interval Team from Southern Taiwan to serve the runners as pacemakers. After the race, a variety of local specialties from Guanmiao were served to runners, including Guanmiao's special braised noodles, pineapple popsicles, pineapple biscuits, pineapple beer, pineapple green tea, and freshly cut pineapples. There were so many delicious supplies offered that runners reached the finish line with a full bag! Along the way, in addition to enthusiastic cheerleaders, there were also special cheering signs such as "Run into 168, Ta Ya will Lead You to Victory" and "Every Step is Training You Become Better, Perseverance is Key" to encourage the runners. The abundant supplies and enthusiastic cheering be spectators surely make the runners look forward to continue to participate next year.
TAYA Group Chairman Shen, Shang-Hung noted that every marathon is like welcoming each runner with a grand wedding banquet. Next year, we will continue to make the TAYA Marathon a highly anticipated premier annual event and invite runners to return to Guanmiao every year to participate.
Other results: 30K Ta Ya Scenic group was won by Chiang, Chao-Kuan (01H:56M:47S) and Yang, Chiao-Chu (02H:22M:13S) for the men’s and women’s category respectively. In the half-marathon group, Lin, Chiu-Chieh (01H:17M:27S) and Chou, Fang-Yu (01H:34M:57S) were the crowning champions for men’s and women’s category respectively. The 14K Ta Ya Color Run group was won by Hu, Kuan-Kai (00:47M:58S) and Huang, Yu-Chin (01H:00M:27S) for men’s and women’s category respectively.